Police want Tuburan town under Comelec watchlist

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) has recommended the whole municipality of Tuburan to be considered as Election Watchlist Area (EWA) to the Commission on Elections yesterday during their Joint Peace and Security Council meeting.

Police Senior Superintendent Edgar Alan Okubo, CPPO director, had said that they will be recommending two barangays in Tuburan to be considered as EWA by the COMELEC.

However, he revealed yesterday that they have monitored suspected members of Private Armed Groups (PAG) in some barangays of Tuburan and it cannot be avoided that they might also operate in the neighboring barangays.

“Further study shows that iyung mga barangay na iyun have been the place of the some members of the suspected PAGs, but we have seen na hindi sila mali-limit sa barangay na iyun. They could go anywhere. So as recommended, whole town nalang ng Tuburan,” said Okubo.

He added that most likely, their recommendation will be approved considering previous election related violence in Tuburan town during past elections.

“Sa past related violent incidents, at saka presence of any movements of CPP-NPA, presence of possible PAGS. Those were considered as para diyan sa pag-declare sa Tuburan as EWA area,” Okubo said.

He also said that they need additional personnel of at least 700 policemen to secure different areas during the Barangay and SK elections next month.

CPPO plans to seek personnel augmentation from Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), and Regional Mobile Force Company (RMFC) – 7 to help their security deployment, especially in the towns considered as EWA.

Tuburan Police Station chief, Superintendent Melbert Glade Esguerra, on the other hand, assured that they already mapped out their security plan for the upcoming election.

“So far, naka-placed na ang atong security deployment ug ready na pud ang atong security plan,” said Esguerra in a phone interview with The FREEMAN.

He added that they continued with their intensified monitoring in all the barangays of Tuburan as part of the election preparation.

Meanwhile, Okubo said that they are also considering the town of Daanbantayan to be recommended for EWA because of intense political rivalry in previous elections.

“Ang nagqualify pa lang doon ay intense political rivalry. It needs further study whether to include or not. I’m not saying it’s excluded, it might be included, it might not be included,” said Okubo. (FREEMAN)